


crushcrushcrush

by dumbsbian



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Crushes, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Meddling, Minor Olivia Benson/Amanda Rollins, Softball, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:29:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29805027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dumbsbian/pseuds/dumbsbian
Summary: Alex likes Casey. Casey likes Alex. Their friends do a little meddling to speed things along.
Relationships: Alexandra Cabot/Casey Novak
Comments: 11
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

Alex was the first one to get to their cafeteria table. She had her head buried in a book when Olivia and Elliot got there. The two of them noted that Alex had brought her lunchbox, so there was the intention of eating lunch. Neither one of them had to look to figure out that Alex was reading a book for one of the pre-law courses she'd be taking at college. Alexandra Cabot was born to be a lawyer, and absolutely nothing was going to stop her from fulfilling her destiny. However, she very easily could be momentarily distracted from said destiny. 

"Oh look, here comes Novak," Olivia said as she nudged Elliot with her elbow. Alex's head shot up from her book and she looked around, trying to find Casey Novak in the cafeteria. Once she realized that Olivia was lying to them, she put her head back down and continued to read. 

"Ha ha, you got me," Alex deadpanned. Not even a minute later, a shadow covered some of the natural light that'd been coming in from the window. Alex glanced up at Olivia and Elliot, who both were grinning suspiciously. Alex turned her head a bit and saw the familiar stripes of the school's softball jerseys behind her. Alex tilted her head up a bit to see Casey behind her, leaned over slightly as she talked to people at the table behind Alex. "Don't you dare." 

"Hey Casey!" Elliot called out and Casey turned around. "Why don't you have a seat?" 

"Sure. Can I sit here?" Casey asked Alex. Alex moved her bag and gave Casey a small nod. Casey slid into the seat next to Alex and gave the blonde a polite smile. "Hey, you guys coming to the opening game tomorrow night?" 

"Probably," Elliot answered. Olivia nodded in agreement and Casey looked over at Alex. Olivia noted that Casey looked hopeful, like she really wanted Alex to be there at the game as well. "Alex, you wanna come to a softball game tomorrow?" 

"You could use a break from all that pre-studying you're doing," Olivia pointed out. Alex didn't have plans, and it was an excuse to watch Casey play that didn't include her using the shitty parking lot. Alex glanced over at Casey to see if it seemed like she thought it was okay, and then nodded. 

"Sure, but you're gonna have to explain it to me again Liv," Alex said as she set her book in her bag. 

"I could give you a quick run through if you'd like," Casey offered. "We're both in the library for last period." 

* * *

"Just ask your stupid question," Alex told Olivia as the two of them sat in the restaurant Olivia had picked out. Normally, it'd be Olivia, Elliot, and Alex eating dinner together, but Elliot had a date with Kathy and homework. Olivia had some too, but she'd just have Alex help her out with it. Olivia was smart, but she wasn't effortlessly smart like Alex was. Alex never had to try when it came to her core classes, so she was always open to help Olivia out. It helped that Alex had a soft spot for Olivia from their little relationship. 

"You looked pretty happy when Casey walked you to your car," Olivia pointed out. Alex shrugged the comment off and took a sip of her lemon water. Alex knew Olivia was hinting at the crush that Alex had developed on Casey Novak. In all honesty, Olivia understood what Alex saw in Casey. The redhead was a year behind them, but she was in all advanced classes. Casey was smart, attractive, athletic, and a genuinely decent person. Olivia had heard about Casey getting in one of her teammate's faces whenever the other girl needed her behavior checked. Olivia had also heard from Amanda that about a week after that girl had graduated, her and Casey settled it the old fashioned way. So, the junior could definitely hold her own. 

"Liv, come on. I didn't tease you about Amanda nearly this much. Actually, I didn't tease you at all about Amanda." Olivia sighed, knowing that Alex was right. In fact, Alex had put in a good word with Amanda for Olivia's sake. The least that Olivia could do was lay off of Alex just a bit, maybe even tell Elliot to stand down with the teasing too. 

"Why haven't you asked Casey out Alex?" Olivia asked her friend. Olivia knew that Alex wasn't a coward, their relationship had been initiated by the blonde. Although, Olivia did notice that Alex got a lot more flustered around Casey than she had anybody else. Alex Cabot didn't blush easily or trip over her words, but she did when Casey Novak was involved. 

"I don't want it to end badly. When we broke up, we didn't talk for two weeks Liv, and it nearly killed me. I know that Casey and I aren't close, but I like it when she walks with me places, sits with me in the library, and smiles at me in the hallway," Alex admitted. Olivia frowned and reached out and grabbed Alex's hands. "I ruin relationships. I know I'd fuck it up with Casey." 

"I trust that you won't," Olivia promised Alex. Their little moment was interrupted by Amanda, Olivia's girlfriend, joining them. Amanda was dressed in her practice gear, meaning that the softball practice had just let out. "Hey you." 

"Hi," Amanda said as she leaned in to kiss Olivia. Olivia's hands moved away from Alex's and the tall blonde found herself focusing on the menu instead of her friends kissing. It hurt a little bit, but Alex knew that Amanda was perfect for Olivia. The two of them clicked way more naturally than Alex and Olivia did. That didn't stop Olivia from making sure she stayed in Alex's life to keep an eye on her. "I hear you're coming to our game tomorrow Alex." 

"Casey asked us if we were coming today at lunch," Alex said casually. Olivia and Amanda shared a look and Alex started picking at the corner of the table. "I figured if Eliot and Olivia were going, then I'd go to."

"I bet you're gonna look great in Casey's jersey," Amanda said and Alex choked on air. Olivia nudged Amanda as a warning to cut it out. "Sorry, I forgot that you and Casey aren't actually together. She just talks about you all the time, had me fooled." 

"She talks about me?" Alex asked, her voice suspiciously higher than it usually was.

* * *

Casey had no clue how Amanda managed to convince her to do this. At first, Casey had been waiting for Alex in the parking lot, but then she got nervous and went to the fields. Casey realized that Alex didn't normally walk past the fields in the morning because the path to the front doors used a different sidewalk going in the opposite direction. Casey saw Alex walking with Olivia and Amanda, the three of them talking about something. Alex's cheeks were flushed a bit and Casey wondered if maybe one day she'd get lucky enough to make Alex blush. If it wasn't for the way that Amanda made it obvious that she was with Olivia, Casey would have assumed that Alex and Olivia were still together. 

"Case!" Amanda yelled as she saw the redhead heading up to the stairs near the front doors of the school. Casey paused and turned around to see the three other girls about 20 feet behind her. Amanda pulled Alex and Olivia forward, excited to see Casey finally make a move with Alex. Amanda liked her younger teammate and wanted her to be with somebody who genuinely did make her happy. It helped that Alex was a good friend and it'd make Olivia feel less guilty having Alex around as a third wheel when they hung out. "Liv and I will be inside. You two should talk, I bet Casey's got a really important question for you." 

"Amanda!" Casey shouted as the shorter blonde ran inside with Olivia. Casey took a deep breath and then looked at Alex, who looked a bit confused. "So, um, I know that you're not like my girlfriend or anything, but Amanda suggested that you could wear one of my jerseys to the game tonight. If you don't want to, that's fine too. It's stupid of me to ask that. I'm sorry." 

"Casey," Alex said, almost too quietly for the redhead to hear her. "Do you want me to wear your jersey to the game?" 

"You could say that," Casey answered. Alex reached out and grabbed the bunched up shirt in Casey's hand. "It's from last year. Amanda said that you and Liv thought those were good ones, so I brought that one." 

"Thank you," Alex said and Casey nodded. Alex glanced past Casey to see Olivia putting on the jersey in the doorway as Olivia and Amanda watched Casey and Alex on the stairs. "I guess I wear this all day." 

"You don't have to, I'm sure you know what that'll make people think," Casey said quietly. 

"I do, and I don't mind," Alex admitted. The corner of Casey's mouth quirked up and she held her hand out to take Alex's backpack. It was heavy from books, but no heavier than any of the ones Casey normally carried around. The jersey was a bit loose on Alex, but not as loose as Casey's for their current year would be. Alex had noticed that Casey's arms looked a bit bigger and the younger girl had gained some muscle. "How does it look?" 

"Good, really good," Casey told her. Alex took her backpack back from Casey and the two of them walked inside together. Amanda and Olivia were waiting by their lockers, which were next to Alex's, but clear across the hallway from Casey's. 

"Now that looks perfect," Amanda said as she smoothed out the jersey. 

"We'll work on getting you a hat too," Olivia teased as she linked her arm with Alex's. 

"I don't wear hats," Alex told her. 

"Casey just hasn't asked you to yet," Amanda pointed out. 

* * *

Alex leaned against Olivia's shoulder as she watched the game. It wasn't really interesting, and Alex didn't pay attention unless Casey or Amanda were doing something. They were up by 2, but the other team was batting and their bases were loaded. Amanda pitched the ball and with a loud crack, the ball hit the batter's bat and went soaring through the air. Olivia swore under her breath as the music for a home run played and the other team surged forward. Alex frowned, she could see the look on Amanda's face already. This was supposed to be in the bag for them, but it wasn't. 

"She's gonna feel bad about that one," Olivia said sadly. It was true, Amanda was going to fret over that for the rest of the night, even if they won. There wasn't much longer to the game left, just one more chance for them to turn it around or at least tie it up. The other team didn't manage to score again and Amanda was first up to bat when their turn came again. Olivia stood up and cheered when Amanda threw it and ran straight to first base. A few more girls batted before Casey came to the plate. "Here's your girl." 

"She's not." Alex glanced down to hide her blush, but looked up when she heard a loud crack. Casey threw the bat behind her and everybody on the bases ran for home. It was enough to put them ahead again. Casey looked back at Alex in the stands and waved at her. Alex waved back and Olivia nudged her. "What?" 

"Quit being cute," Olivia told her. Alex rolled her eyes and watched the rest of the game. Elliot went home by himself and Olivia dragged Alex over to where the team was celebrating. Amanda ran into Olivia's arms and Casey kind of nervously walked over to Alex. Something was up and Alex wasn't sure what it was. 

"Come on Novak, too late to back out now," Amanda told her teammate. Casey took Alex's hands in hers and dragged her away from the rest of the team. Amanda and Olivia could still see them, standing over near one of the lights. 

"I want you to know that I totally would have at some point wanted to do this, even if Amanda wasn't pushing me," Casey told Alex. Alex was about to ask what was up when Casey put her hand on the side of Alex's jaw. "Can I kiss you?" 

"Yes," Alex breathed out and Casey leaned in and pressed her lips against Alex's. Alex brought her arms up to rest around the back of Casey's neck and Casey's other hand came to rest on the small of Alex's back. Alex started kissing Casey back and the two of them stood on their little part of the field kissing until one of the lights came on, spooking them. "You want to go to dinner Saturday night?" 

"Absolutely," Casey answered. Alex leaned in to kiss her quickly before the two of them went back to find Olivia and Amanda. They learned that the two had left, leaving Casey as Alex's ride back home. "Almost feels like this was arranged." 

"I don't mind them playing matchmaker. I don't know if I could have asked you out otherwise. You make me nervous," Alex admitted. 

"I make you nervous? You're always so cool and calm, I don't believe it, but I'll take the compliment."


	2. The First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date and preceding nerves.

The next morning after the softball game, Alex woke up extra early. She sent a text to Olivia that her and Amanda didn't need to worry about meeting her for breakfast in the morning. Alex stopped on her way to the bathroom connected to her bedroom and stared at Casey's jersey, draped across the back of her desk chair. Alex had washed it almost as soon as she'd gotten home. Alex was a little sad that it didn't smell like Casey anymore, but Alex would have had a difficult time returning it if it did. Maybe, if their date went well, Alex would end up with some of Casey's shirts to wear around the house. Her parents would ask a few questions about where she got the clothing, but it was easier to pretend Casey was a guy than it was to pretend that Olivia was. 

Alex had told her parents several times that she was a lesbian. They had ignored her time and time again, until she brought home Olivia Benson. Alex's parents had met the other girl as Alex's friend before. They'd even pretended that Alex and Olivia were just friends until Alex started making it hard to ignore. When Olivia and Alex had broken up, her parents had been weird about Alex and Olivia hanging out for awhile, but then they went right back to not caring. With Casey, Alex could actually tell them about their relationship and it not become as awkward. Alex just had to be careful whenever the time came for Casey to start coming over to her house. 

"Al, honey, you're up early," Alex's father noted. He always woke up before her. She got the "early riser" trait from him and the insomnia from her mother. At least that was what her uncles liked to joke. Alex was never running on the amount of sleep that the doctors and therapists had told her to. It wasn't like she could help it though, Alex had always been that way. Even as a small child, she would have fits of restlessness even when she was dead tired, and then when she finally fell asleep, Alex would wake up with the sun. For a little while, Alex's parents had put her in different sports programs, hoping that would tire her out. Alex wasn't overly unathletic, but she was only really good at tennis and golf. Tennis days were bonding days with her mother and golf days had always been the daddy-daughter days. Neither sport was really enough to tire her out to the level she needed for a good night's rest though. 

"There are only so many hours in a day to get what you need done," Alex told her father. It was something Alex's grandmother had told her. It was true, but Alex was pretty sure that part of why she'd beat her alarm by almost an hour was not attributed to her ambition. Alex was, simply put, nervous. She had kissed Casey last night, several times after the game. Today, Alex was going to have to see Casey. At the very least, she'd give back the jersey and maybe they'd discuss the details of their date tomorrow night. "Saturday night, I have a date. Is it okay if I skip going to the club with you and mother?" 

"Of course, who is the lucky person?" Alex wanted to lie, but she was an honest person. At least her father was making more of an effort than her mother was. 

"A softball player, Casey Novak. We are going to dinner," Alex told her father. He nodded and smiled at Alex. He knew that Alex had no actual interest in the softball games she'd been going to since before Olivia and Amanda had started dating each other. He had also seen Casey Novak in the papers quite a few times for her athletic feats and a few academic ones. She had won the junior law mock trial, the girl was born to be a prosecutor, much like his own daughter. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that this girl would be going to bigger places than the last girl that Alex had brought home. It wasn't that Alex's father had anything against Olivia Benson, but the girl's ambitions stopped with the police academy. 

"You have fun on your date, and be safe." 

* * *

Post-game pre-school practices were Casey's least favorites. Casey liked sleeping in when she could, especially after games. At least they hadn't lost the game because Casey doubted she could have mustered the strength to run laps. Casey's game had been good that night, but they'd almost lost the game. Casey wasn't exactly on board with the coach chastising Amanda for that grand slam the other team got, especially since for the opening game, Amanda's performance had been phenomenal. Casey didn't know Amanda all that well, but she liked to believe that they were friends with each other. Casey didn't really talk to anybody else on the team, and Amanda may have just gotten Casey a girlfriend. 

"Novak, I'd pay attention if you want to start the next game," coach warned. Casey nodded and kept her head forward. The little meeting at the end of their practice ended after Casey was congratulated for her big hit and they were told to hit the showers if they wanted. Amanda left to get breakfast with her girlfriend and Casey cleaned herself up before going back to the parking lot to put up her things. 

"Casey." Alex's voice startled Casey. It was a bit early for students to be arriving, but it didn't surprise Casey that Alex was there early. Casey turned around and saw her old jersey being extended towards her by Alex. "I washed it for you last night. I wasn't sure when you'd want it back." 

"Thank you," Casey thanked Alex. She put it in the backseat, next to her softball bag. "Do you want to have a seat inside? Maybe we can talk about the date tomorrow." 

"Of course," Alex agreed. On the outside, she managed to remain calm and collected, but on the inside, Alex was terrified that Casey was rethinking their date and wanted to cancel on her. At least Casey had the decency to cancel on her in person instead of over the phone or in a text. 

"How about we start with the easy stuff? I don't have your number Alex," Casey said and Alex glanced at the phone being extended towards her. Alex put in her information and then texted herself so she had Casey's number too. "Okay, do you want me to pick you up or do you want to meet me somewhere?" 

"I'll text you an address to meet me at actually," Alex said and Casey smirked at her taking charge. She knew that Alex Cabot was confident and assertive, but Casey had never experienced it firsthand. "I'm paying by the way." 

"We'll see about that," Casey told Alex. "Where did you have in mind for our date? I do have to know how to dress for the occasion." 

"Elvino's?" Alex asked and Casey sputtered as she shook her head. "Do you not like Italian?" 

"I thought you'd want to go somewhere like Chili's. We're high school students, not socialites," Casey told Alex. Alex looked down at her hands, immediately feeling bag. Sometimes, it was really clear that Alex had grown up in a wealthier household than her peers. The only reason she was even at this school was because Alex wanted to experience a normal life before she went to college. Casey glanced over at Alex and sighed, realizing that she'd hurt the blonde's feelings in some capacity. Instantly, she felt awful, but Casey put on a stoic front and turned to Alex. "I'm sorry, that was insensitive. This is all making me pretty nervous and you didn't exactly suggest a place that I could come close to topping for a second date. I get it if you don't want that anymore though, or the first date." 

"Are you kidding me? I've wanted to go out with you for like a year," Alex admitted. Casey bit her lip and smiled at Alex. The two of them sat there in silence for a moment before Casey spoke up. 

"Can I be honest with you?" Casey asked and Alex nodded. "I don't know what you're expecting from this. I really like you, I have for awhile, and I'm so happy that you're giving me a chance. I don't want to ruin things because even if you hadn't wanted to kiss me, I'd still want to be your friend Alex. I don't want to disappoint you, but when it comes to physical stuff, I won't do anything until I'm sure that it's the right time." 

"Don't worry about that now. It's a first date, we'll eat some fancy food, maybe take a walk in the park, and then wait by the phone to text each other for a couple of hours," Alex said, a light tone to her voice. "If we have fun, we'll have more dates. The only way you could disappoint me is if you stood me up. We don't have to do anything you don't feel ready for. I'm willing to wait just to hold your hand." 

Casey wasn't really sure she should have said to Alex in that moment. A million things were running through her head, but the look of understanding from the blonde let Casey know she didn't have to answer. So, she just leaned over and pressed her lips to Alex's cheek. Alex ducked her head down a bit when Casey backed away to hide the blush creeping up on her cheeks. Casey was blushing too, but Alex didn't see that. It seemed like Alex never did notice that, not yet anyways. 

* * *

"Novak, just the girl I was looking for," Olivia said as she stopped Casey in the hallway. Alex had been happy when Olivia saw her first that morning. Olivia needed to have a chat with Casey to make sure that Casey kept Alex in such a good mood. Casey stopped as Olivia grabbed onto her wrist and let herself get dragged into an empty bathroom. 

"Can I help you?" Casey was trying to act tough. Olivia didn't doubt that Casey wouldn't give her a run for her money, but if Casey hurt Alex, Casey didn't stand a chance. 

"Yeah, you and Alex see each other this morning? She had this smile on her face, it was lame and dopey. Totally unlike Alex, but it was nice to see her genuinely happy. The two of you aren't even really anything officially yet and you already are making her happy. That's great," Olivia told Casey. Casey was sensing a 'but' coming, so she just waited to response. "But if I hear that you hurt her, we're not gonna be so friendly. I like you Casey, I really do. You've got a good head on your shoulders, you are a good kid, but Alex means a lot to me." 

"I get it," Casey told Olivia. Olivia nodded and patted Casey on the back before she left the bathroom. Casey stood there and stared at herself in the mirror until someone new came into the bathroom. Casey kept a calm head as she walked to the library, where Alex was already seated at a table. Piles of notes were set out in front of her. She was copying them down and Casey noticed that she saw Olivia and Elliot's names on two folders. "I'm pretty sure they can take their own notes." 

"They can, but Elliot's handwriting is so messy I doubt he can read it all the time, and Liv's working out to get into shape for basketball season. I don't know why she is, she never was out of shape. They don't make me do this by the way, I just think it's a better use of my time than sitting in here bored," Alex said as she glanced up at Casey briefly. Casey nodded and pulled out a study guide for her upcoming chemistry test. Casey was smart, but to say she had been struggling in that class was a bit of an understatement. By most standards, Casey was ahead of the game, but Casey knew what she needed in order to make it to the colleges of her dreams. 

The two of them didn't really talk much that period. Alex noticed every so often that Casey looked frustrated. Her brows were furrowed in a deep concentration that would break every five minutes or so. Alex wasn't staring at Casey, she'd swear until she was dead that she wasn't, but the little groan whenever she lost her place or missed a question that Casey made gave it away. Alex wanted to offer her help, offer to let Casey come over sometime to study, but she didn't. Olivia, Amanda, and Elliot were coming over Saturday morning to study before the three of them hit the gym later and Alex had to get ready for her date with Casey that night. 

"What I wouldn't give to be able to skip this class," Casey said as she shoved the papers back into her backpack. Alex watched Casey, anger rolling off the girl in waves. "I think I'm gonna hit the cages for awhile tonight." 

"Cages?" Alex asked and Casey nodded. 

"Batting cages, I'll take you sometime. I'd love to teach you how to swing," Casey said and Alex blushed at the thought of it. Casey's body pressed against hers, a chance to really feel how "built" Casey really was. Alex had heard Elliot and Olivia brag on how good Casey did in weightlifting before, but she had ignored their gym rat talk most of the time. It wasn't that she didn't care, she didn't, but more that she didn't want to get distracted thinking about her crush's arms. 

"I would only embarrass myself, but I'll let you take me to the batting cages if I can take you golfing sometimes," Alex offered. 

"Let me drive the cart and it's a done deal." Casey was only joking, but Alex took her seriously. 

"Deal." 

* * *

Alex's hands were practically shaking as she held them in her lap. She had texted Casey the address of the restaurant where their reservations were. Alex decided not to wait at their table, instead staying in the waiting area for her date. A part of Alex wondered if she'd picked a place too fancy for their first date. Casey had been pretty adamant on her not picking a place where the bill would be more than $100. Olivia had been the same way, but something told Alex that maybe she'd be able to keep Casey around long enough to get the redhead used to be spoiled a little. Alex's father spoiled her mother and despite how distant they could be with her, Alex knew that her parents really did love each other. Sometimes, she swore they loved each other more than they loved her, but Alex knew it only seemed that way because she'd never let herself become too dependent on them. 

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Casey said as she came running into the restaurant. Alex hadn't noticed Casey's car pulling into the parking lot or the softball player literally sprinting over. Alex did notice the flush on Casey's face and the slight breathlessness. Alex stood up and for once, she was taller than Casey. Normally, she believed they were the same height, but Casey had opted for wearing a pair of black Vans instead of heels for their date. Alex had picked out a nice dress that she hoped caught Casey's attention without being too revealing and a nice pair of heels. Casey had worn a pair of black skinny jeans, a checker patterned and a short sleeved checker patterned shirt. 

"You look nice," Alex told Casey. Casey ducked her head down a bit and smiled at the compliment. 

"Thanks, you look absolutely beautiful. I didn't think it'd be this formal from the texts." Alex took Casey's hand in hers and walked past the hostess and straight to their table. It was the same table that her parents normally reserved. They sat down and almost immediately a waiter came in with menus and complimentary water. 

"Don't worry about how much anything costs. I've got you," Alex told Casey. Casey scoffed when she saw the first few entrees on the menu. "Relax, just pick something that sounds good." 

"Alex, this is like a week of a summer job wages," Casey told her date. Alex heard the nagging voice in the back of her head berating her for going overboard on the first date. It was a bit awkward after they ordered. Alex didn't want it to ruin the date, so she made Casey an offer. 

"Look, I obviously don't date a lot. Olivia and I had this problem too, there's some miscommunication between the two of us. Your normal and mine aren't the same, but that's okay. Yeah, I'll probably end up taking you to a country club some weekends because that's what I'm used to, but I want you to let me experience your normal too. I want to know what Casey Novak would normally do on a date. Obviously I missed the mark a bit, but the more time we spend together, the closer I'll get to the bullseye." 

"That's fair," Casey reasoned. "Thursday, before the game, I want to take you out for pizza. We'll go downtown, get a box, maybe some sodas, and then we can sit at the fields together. And since you're insisting on paying for this, I'll take the next date, okay?"

"Okay," Alex agreed. Casey smiled and visibly relaxed a bit. Conversation came easily between the two of them. Casey was a lot dorkier than Alex had expected her to be. Alex was a nerd, she had never really done anything to hide that, but Casey had the cover of being a student athlete. Alex had learned that night that Casey spent most of her nights alone with law documentaries playing on her television while she did homework or just relaxed. Casey learned about Alex being on the school's tennis team as well as in a private league sponsored by a few country clubs in the state. Casey managed to get an invitation to one of Alex's matches and Alex managed to come home with the jersey that she had just given back to Casey. As Alex laid down in her bed that night texting Olivia about the details about her date, she wondered how Casey managed to get it smelling like her again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm totally open to continuing this with little bits and pieces of their relationship if that's something that would interest anybody. Even if it doesn't, I still might just for the sake of writing it.


	3. Chapter 3

Casey sat on the stairs in front of the senior parking lot as she waited for Alex to show up. Since Casey didn't have practice after school, she told Alex that she didn't have to use the field lots. Most people who used that parking lot off the team were sketchy. They more than likely had something in their car that they couldn't legally bring onto campus. Casey knew now that Alex just parked there so that she could see Casey when she walked to her car after school. It was sweet and cute, something that would make a romantic story to tell one day. Hopefully Casey got to that "one day" with Alex, but she knew that high school relationships didn't usually last all that long. Alex would probably go to college, find a better girl, and leave Casey behind. 

"What's with the kicked puppy look?" Elliot asked as he sat down next to Casey. She jumped a little, not having noticed that Elliot had been there. Casey glanced up at him and sighed. 

"Thinking," Casey told him. Elliot didn't push her for more than that, knowing that sometimes when he got to thinking he came across something he wished he hadn't. "How's Kathy?" 

"She's got a pretty bad cold. Won't even let come and check on her." Elliot kicked his heel against one of the stairs. Casey wondered if Alex would check on her if she got sick. She hoped that the blonde would, but at the same time, she didn't want Alex to see her all gross and sickly. "You waiting for your new girl?" 

"Y-yeah." Casey blushed as she looked down at her hands. 

"I take it your date went well then?" Elliot asked and Casey nodded. "You wanna talk about it or..." 

"She took me to this fancy restaurant. I'm taking her for pizza before the game Thursday," Casey told Elliot. There wasn't a whole lot for Casey to tell him. She enjoyed the date with Alex, who had no doubt told Olivia and Amanda. Well, it was more likely that Alex told Olivia, who told Amanda what happened. Casey hadn't disclosed any details to Amanda, but the blonde had called Casey to ask how good of a kisser Alex was in private. 

A small smile found its way onto Casey's face as she thought about kissing Alex. She wanted to walk Alex through the hallways, holding her hand, and kissing her cheek whenever they dropped each other at their classes. Casey wanted to get the whole high school relationship experience, at the least the ones that she saw in the movies. It was unrealistic, she knew that, but a girl could always hope. Homecoming had already passed, but maybe if Casey was lucky, she'd be able to have a movie moment with Alex at the winter formal. 

"I think this is my cue to leave," Elliot said and before Casey could ask him what he was talking about, she noticed Alex getting out of her car. Amanda and Olivia hopped out of the backseat and ran ahead of Alex to catch up with Elliot. Casey got off of the stairs and walked over to Alex's car. Hopefully she didn't come off as desperate or clingy, waiting for Alex like that. While she'd been waiting, it hadn't occurred to her that it could come off like that. Now, as she was walking up to Alex's car, Casey was suddenly terrified of what Alex would think of her. 

"Good morning," Alex greeted Casey. "Can I give you a kiss?" 

"Of course." Alex leaned in to give Casey a quick and chaste kiss. Casey smiled as she watched Alex grab her backpack out of the passenger's seat of her car. "I can take that if you'd like." 

"You don't have to carry my stuff for me Casey," Alex told her. Casey reached out for the bag anyways and Alex handed it over to her. Casey slung it over her free shoulder, not caring that she had two backpacks and her softball bag was by the stairs. "So, um, I had fun Saturday. I'm really excited about Thursday." 

"Good, hopefully it'll be fun. If it isn't, can I request a do-over date?" Casey asked and Alex nodded. 

"Has Amanda mentioned anything to you about a double date?" Alex asked and Casey shook her head. "Well, she's trying to get Liv to convince me to agree to it. I figured that I'd try to ask you before anybody else had a chance. We don't have to, but normally after school Liv, Amanda, and I go out to eat. Sometimes I help them with their homework, sometimes I just third wheel." 

"Are you asking me out again?" Casey asked and Alex nodded. "Great, just give me a time and place and I'll be there." 

"Tonight, and since I'm asking you out, you can't argue with me when the check comes," Alex told Casey. 

"You drive a hard bargain, but I guess I'll let you buy me dinner again," Casey said in a playfully dramatic tone. Alex took Casey's free hand and held on tightly as they walked up to the school. Even past the doors, she kept a tight hold on Casey's hand. Luckily, Casey didn't even try to let go of Alex's hand until they got to Alex's locker. 

* * *

"Liv, come on! We are so late!" Alex yelled as she sprinted across the parking lot of the diner. Amanda and Casey were already waiting in the normal booth near the back, engrossed in a conversation. Alex skidded to a stop in front of their booth and sat down next to Casey. Almost immediately, Alex just put her head down on the table and tried to catch her breath. "Sorry... we're... late." 

"You aren't late," Amanda told Alex. "We always meet up at 6 here." 

"You always get here at six. Liv and I get here at 5:40. We were 20 minutes late," Alex explained. Casey quirked an eyebrow at Alex, but didn't say anything. Once Alex had calmed down a little, she lifted her head and looked over at Casey. "Hi, how was your day?" 

"It was alright, but you know that already. You asked me in the library," Casey reminded Alex. "How was your day?" 

"Same old, same old." Alex leaned her head against Casey's shoulder. 

"Alex, stop being gross," Olivia teased as she sat down. Alex scoffed and sat up straight as the waitress brought over menus for everyone. 

"You know, neither of you have any room to complain about PDA. I'd bet that Amanda's hand is on your thigh and with your arm wrapped around her, your hand is on her hip," Alex said and both Olivia and Amanda scooted away from each other. 

"I hate how you just know," Amanda said as she closed her menu. Alex smirked a little as she looked between her two friends. "Eventually, we'll figure out your thing and point it out too." 

"Alex has quite a few things," Olivia teased. Alex blushed and hid behind the menu. Casey just turned her head completely and stared out the window, not being able to meet anybody's eyes. "Relax Novak, it doesn't have to be like that. Ow! Did you just kick me?" 

"I did and I'll do it again if you don't shut up," Alex said with a sweet smile. "Behave because you forget that I know your dirt too." 

"Maybe we should behave Mandy." 

* * *

Thursday couldn't come fast enough for Casey. She had seen Alex at school on Tuesday and Wednesday, but now it was the day of their date. Alex had worn Casey's jersey and invited Casey to come sit next to her at lunch. It was the first time that Casey had ever seen Alex not reading a book at lunch. Even with all the noise around them, all Casey could focus on was Alex sitting next to her. The two of them talked a little bit about possible weekend plans. Alex was going to the country club on Saturday all day and then she'd at least have to be at brunch on Sunday. Casey had to study for a test on Monday, but Alex offered to come over and help her study. 

"I really thought that we'd be sitting inside and eating," Alex said as she sat in the passenger's seat of Casey's car. Casey shook her head and leaned her seat back a bit. 

"It was crowded in there. Crowds can be kind of scary," Casey told Alex. A part of Alex wondered if maybe Casey wanted to hide Alex. She pushed that thought out of her mind and just tried to enjoy the private time that she was getting with Casey. "So, um, we should probably head back to the parking lot. Traffic gets bad here around now." 

"Can you eat and drive?" Alex asked and Casey nodded. "Is that safe?" 

"We'll get to the field like 10 minutes before the national anthem, not a lot of driving going on," Casey told Alex. The blonde nodded and watched as Casey pulled into traffic. She was right, they drove maybe three blocks before hitting traffic. "You know, I don't see you actually driving to school that often. Normally you ride in with Olivia or Elliot." 

"I have a car and I can drive, but I don't really like it. It makes me sort of nervous I guess," Alex admitted. 

"I love driving, so I guess it works out pretty well for us." Casey shot Alex a smile that made Alex's heart beat a little faster. Casey turned up the radio a bit as they ate their pizza. Alex noticed that Casey kept tapping her fingers against the steering wheel, humming along to one of the classic rock songs playing. Alex had heard it before in Olivia's car, but it what she normally found herself listening to. Alex liked music, but she primarily listened to it whenever she was doing homework or studying, so most of Alex was familiar with was classical music. "Tell me something about yourself Cabot." 

"My parents made me take piano lessons after I accidentally shot my cello bow at my instructor," Alex said and Casey laughed at that. "Okay, your turn." 

"You, uh, you were my first kiss." Casey blushed and ducked her head down a bit, rubbing the back of her neck. Alex couldn't help the proud little smile on her face at the thought of getting to be Casey's first kiss. If Alex thought about it, she couldn't remember ever seeing Casey being around someone who she could have been dating. Still, she couldn't believe that nobody was out there trying to kiss Casey Novak, it was all she'd been thinking about doing for almost a year. 

Alex turned in her seat slightly and leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the corner of Casey's mouth. Casey looked up at Alex and pressed a kiss to her lips. It was soft and sweet, something that made Casey think of the summer loves that she'd never gotten, but always heard about. Alex deepened the kiss a little bit and Casey moaned slightly. She was blushing furiously whenever they parted, but Alex didn't have a chance to reassure her because the cars behind them began to honk. Casey gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter than usual and moved forward, not looking over at Alex until they were back at the fields and Alex was giving Casey a kiss for good luck. 


End file.
